Dear Patients,Government vaccine centresMany of you will have heard that the government vaccine centres will start vaccinating on Friday 26th February, for those in the priority groups below.(a)        persons aged 60 years or above (up to two persons accompanying persons aged 70 years or above may receive vaccination together);(b)        personnel in healthcare settings and those participating in anti-epidemic related work;(c)        residents and staff of residential care homes for the elderly / persons with disabilities;(d)        personnel maintaining critical public services; and(e)        personnel performing cross-boundary related work.We understand bookings for the Sinovac vaccine will begin on this website from tomorrow 23rd February  www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/enWhat we know is changing rapidly and we recommend those who are keen to be vaccinated quickly should monitor the government website closely.In addition to giving the latest information on booking and vaccine centres, they provide a comprehensive list of FAQs, expert opinions and other useful resources. https://247apotheek.com
We understand that more government vaccine centres will be opened gradually and those offering the Pfizer vaccine will start from in March.We believe private hospitals and private clinics are more likely to be allocated Sinovac and will start vaccinating later.Central HealthWe will be updating our own website news section frequently (www.centralhealth.com.hk/category/announcements/) with any information about when Covid vaccines will be available at Central Health.We can confirm that Central Health nurses and doctors will be helping to administer Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines at the Ap Lei Chau Sports Centre every Wednesday (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/pdf/List_of_CVC_Venues.pdf) after it opens in mid March.We will confirm the exact details and timings as soon as we have them.If you have a history of anaphylaxis or severe allergy, we suggest you arrange to have your vaccine in one of the hospitals or medical centers.If you are uncertain about whether your medical condition might increase you risk of an adverse reaction please email your usual doctor who will be happy to provide advice.Specific advice on pregnancy and breastfeeding was given in our previous update.Unless you are in a high-risk occupation or needing to travel urgently, we do not believe you are in any way disadvantaged if you do not fall within the first priority groups.Current infection rates are low and will almost certainly continue to decline as will the risk of infection.As the vaccine roll out progresses, patients will have more choice as to their preferred vaccine and venue for vaccination.Remember that Hong Kong has purchased more than enough vaccines for everyone, so do not worry if you are not in the initial priority groups.We will inform you as soon as the programme is expanded to include more people.The Central Health Team